Chest
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Outcomes of emergency department patients treated for primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
International guidelines for the management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) vary, and there is growing opinion that more patients could be successfully managed with observation alone. There is little published evidence detailing the outcomes of emergency department (ED) patients who have been treated for PSP. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical outcomes for patients with PSP. ⋯ These data suggest that observation alone is an effective initial treatment strategy for selected patients with PSP. They support the inclusion of an observation arm in planned prospective studies comparing different management approaches.